The Reveal

Everyone knew that the Burkes were expecting.

If Elizabeth's change in habits and Peter's absent smiles hadn't been enough, then the telltale bump that was growing on Elizabeth's front was a dead giveaway!

Smiling as he stood knocking on the door of their townhouse, Neal had a feeling that the couple was getting ready to make some kind of an announcement. Why else would they invite him over for dinner but with the additional note that he would be staying for dessert as it was something special?

Considering that Neal had heard stories of a recent trend where parents were using cakes for gender reveals, it was his theory that the Burkes had chosen to share the special occasion with him. If so, that was a tribute to how much they valued his friendship. No one else had been invited to his knowledge.

Peter opened the door with a beaming grin spanning his face, something that had been a regular occurrence of late. He welcomed Neal in and took the bottle of juice from him. He was ready to make a comment, but then he noticed that the beverage was non-alcoholic. "I see you've come prepared."

"It's not like it's a secret and this way Elizabeth can enjoy it as well." Neal returned his beaming grin. He was overjoyed for his friends!

"We wanted to keep it secret for the first trimester, but that was an utter failure!" Elizabeth laughed as she came to greet him at the door. She knew that Peter had shared the secret with Neal as he was unable to keep the secret in that long while Mozzie had deduced it from her.

Leaning over to make it easier for her, Neal gave her a hug before they moved further into the house.

Satchmo came with a wagging tail eager for pets and some attention as he walked across the room.

Since it was a well-practiced routine, it didn't take them long to be seated around the table and eating. They conversed about their days, work, and recent events until the meal had passed.

When it came time for the dessert to be served, Peter insisted on handling the work so that Elizabeth could remain seated.

"I need you to do whatever it takes to keep Peter safe." She directed Neal while rubbing her hand along the top of her protruding belly. "We need him now more than ever."

"You are my family, and I promise to do anything in my power to protect you all!" Neal vowed. He'd taken on the intelligence community, the military, and the enemy when he'd protected Chuck from being recruited by anyone and everyone their senior year. Protecting Peter should be easier than that, even with their operation against the Panthers in progress.

Returning unaware of the conversation that had progressed in his absence, Peter came in carrying a small cake covered in white frosting. "Here we go, the gender reveal!" He cheered as he put the cake down on the table in between them all.

Standing at the head, he was directed to take the cut so that Elizabeth could watch for the color without the distraction of cutting.

Neal merely sat back to observe while wondering which bib he would need to give them.

Slicing the blade through the cake, Peter then slowly lifted it back up before seeing the blue coloring. Then he more rapidly cut the other side before lifting a piece out for Elizabeth. It was a two-layered cake with both layers dyed blue and surrounded by white frosting.

While Peter finished serving the pieces, there was quiet around the table. The parents were reflecting on what it meant while Neal was debating on when to pull out the bib that was tucked away in the right pocket of his jacket.

Once they were settled with their pieces, the conversation resumed.

"We're expecting twins," Elizabeth cooed as she ran her hand over her bulging belly. After so long of wanting a child, two was a miraculous blessing.

"They're both boys, so we'll have double trouble tearing around here in a few years." Although Peter's words could be taken as apprehensive, his beaming grin showed just how happy he truly was.

Beaming, Neal couldn't help but be happy for his friends as he congratulated them. "Have you chosen names?"

"Neal and Bryce," Peter watched him with a smile, "after you."

Flabbergasted, Neal didn't know what to think. After him? "How did you know?"

Caught off guard, Peter and Elizabeth changed looks before Peter questioned. "How did we know what?"

"That my legal name is Bryce, Bryce Larkin?" Neal was confused and worried. If they'd somehow stumbled upon his history as an agent, then that could put them in danger!

Frowning and putting his hands together, Peter went into FBI mode despite being seated at the table. "Really? I thought you grew up as Danny Brooks and ran away to become Neal Caffrey. Where does this Bryce Larkin fit in?"

Opening his eyes wide, Neal suddenly realized his mistake. They hadn't known, they had named one of their boys Neal after him, and Bryce was merely a coincidence. He'd revealed his name to them! "Why did you pick Bryce?"

Not to be deterred, Peter pushed, "Neal, you know I will look it up so you'd better explain if you don't want an official investigation."

Mentally lecturing himself, Neal didn't appreciate Peter's tenacity. It was helpful in a case, but not when it was directed at him. Sighing, he held up his hand for Peter to give him a moment. "I will tell you, but there is something that I need to do first."

Huffing, Peter let him go up to the bathroom, but his stern expression indicated that he'd demand answers when he returned.

Pulling out his phone as soon as he was alone, Neal dialed a familiar number that he hadn't called in a while.

When she picked up, he dove in. "I accidentally just revealed that my legal name is Bryce Larkin to the archeologist of the FBI, Peter is demanding answers now."

There was a sigh on the other end. Clearly, the general didn't expect him to be such an idiot as to blow his own cover on accident. "What kind of damage control are we looking at?"

"I'm thinking of a confidentiality form for each of them, Elizabeth was there too, and the barest of the bare minimum information; that I'm an agent on a loan assignment as an alternate version of myself. That way, Peter won't feel the need to investigate because he knows that it is official, but neither of them will know enough to put them in danger."

She was silent for a few moments, but then there was a slow acceptance as she agreed. "I will have a courier provide a contract within the hour." Then she abruptly hung up on him which was typical behavior for her.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Neal just needed to figure out how to share his information without eliciting more curiosity than he could divert.

Going back downstairs, he found Peter watching him expectantly while Elizabeth was seated comfortably waiting for the explanation. They'd finished their pieces while he was upstairs and had moved to the living room where it was more comfortable for her to sit while Peter was now standing. His hands were on his hips and his frown remained firmly in place.

Neal left his piece on the table as he joined them. He might retrieve it after the initial reveal or it might be taken home with him for later. His focus was on his friends and the coming conversation. "Alright, the confidentiality contracts will be here within an hour or so, but I still can't tell you everything."

That had their attention!

"What?" Peter's voice raised an octave in shock.

Elizabeth looked at him skeptically; she wanted to know if he was pulling their legs.

Pulling out his phone again, Neal laid it on the coffee table in between them. He dialed a different number that linked to a verification system. Then he provided his name, his voice, and his code word for the system to verify his identity.

Peter had heard of this system so he was watching with eagle eyes as Neal did each step.

"Identity confirmed, Agent in charge, officer, Bryce Larkin." The system's automated voice confirmed his identity for them to hear.

Sitting down and leaning back in his seat, Peter stared at him in bewilderment... "You're an agent?"

"Yes, I was recruited my junior year at university. It's a long story and I cannot tell you anything of it for your safety and that of the twins. But since I slipped, I felt it best to give you the official minimum to keep you from looking any further."

"What are you doing in the FBI then?" Elizabeth asked while Peter was still too busy processing what they'd learned.

"I'm on a loan assignment. You know my history until I turned eighteen and this is for the protection of my family. My character is a variation of what might have been, had I run away and ended up on the streets instead of leaving Wit-Sec and going to university." Neal was glad to share at least that much, that he'd been honest with them as far as he could be under the circumstances.

Reevaluating what he knew, Peter didn't seem happy, but he wasn't looking unhappy either. "So, I take it anything you did concerning the CIA is off-limits?"

"Most definitely! And don't look up my name at university either, you'd find my roommate. He's the director special agent in charge of all operations and his family tends to be worse magnets for danger than me or mine." Neal warned with everything he could throw at Peter in voice and manner. There was no way he wanted to risk him looking into any of that!

"Are you upset to tell us?" Elizabeth asked as she watched the exchange with a concerned expression. Her hand was absently rubbing her belly as if to soothe herself and the twins inside.

"Not entirely. I'm glad that you know that things aren't always as they seem with me. My work has the support of one or more agencies and I only pretend to run about as a criminal. However, despite my extensive training, I've dealt with so much public corruption that I've technically been killed in action by my own people twice. It's extremely dangerous to get too close to who and what I really grew up to be. Since I'm believed to be dead to all but a few bosses who oversee my work, it should reduce the risk, but I still don't want to take any risk with your safety if I can help it." He closed his eyes at the very thought of things going wrong and putting anyone of the Burkes at risk. They were far too dear to him for that!

A silence descended upon them. Neither of the Burkes spoke.

When Neal opened his eyes and saw the pained expressions they were wearing, he felt bad for souring such a special evening. "I'm sorry; I think I should go before I make this any worse for you."

He got up rapidly and moved for the door, but Peter was just as quick.

Catching his arm, Peter refused to let go. "No, don't. Neal..." his voice caught in a choke that cut him off.

Clearing his throat a few times to regain his voice, Peter was finally able to continue. "I'm sorry, Neal. It sounds like I've been angry with you for things that you haven't done on more occasions than I thought." He pulled Neal into a hug and held him tightly. "But I think I'm angrier to learn what you've been through. An agent shouldn't have to worry about those guarding his back, and I wish I could've done something to help you through those situations."

Speaking into his friend's shoulder as he still wasn't letting go, Neal let Peter comfort himself while allowing the embrace to settle him as well. "I was allegedly in prison as far as you were concerned at the time, so there's no way you could've even suspected anything. As for getting involved, I'm glad you didn't, both times were full of death and destruction and there is no way I want you anywhere near a situation like that."

Shuddering, Peter was further upset by his description. "Please, Neal. Don't, don't you ever disappear on us!"

Hearing the underlying desperation, Neal took a deep breath while trying to determine what to do. He couldn't make any promises, especially knowing what the Panthers did to those who crossed them. "I will do what I can, Peter." It was the best he could give.

Peter's hold was almost crushing as he pushed Neal back by his arms. There could very well be bruising from the force of his grip. "What are you not saying? Something is going on in that head of yours and you're going to share it right now!"

Closing his eyes again, Neal couldn't look at his friend and say what needed to be said. "No, Peter, I won't. I've made a promise to keep you safe, and I will not break that. You can't take risks to protect me either; you have a wife and two little boys who will be needing you. When whatever comes happens, I need you to let me handle it. Besides, I have more training and backing than you do so I'm better equipped to get through safely, especially if I'm not worried about protecting you."

"Neal," there was pleading to his voice; Neal was asking a tall order of the man.

Sighing, Neal opened his eyes and regretted it when he saw the mixture of anger, hurt, and fear in his friend's eyes. "Peter, I know that what I'm asking of you is impossible, but what you ask of me in return is as well. I cannot risk you or your safety, and that is non-negotiable! I'm a black op combat-trained weapons expert with a command specializing in super soldiers, I'm not joking when I say that I'm far more capable of handling dangerous situations than you. However, I know the surest way to crumble everything would be for you to leap into danger in some fool-hearty idea of protecting me. That... that would kill me in a way that a bullet never could. So, please, I'm telling you to drop this, for everyone's safety!"

Peter pulled him into the hug again and held onto him tightly; as if he knew that this was a precursor to saying goodbye. He ducked his face into Neal's shoulder and clung to him.

Feeling something of dampness, Neal knew that Peter was getting uncharacteristically emotional. These weren't tears of joy as he should be experiencing as he looked forward to his sons, these were tears of sorrow, the fear of losing his friend.

"I'm sorry," Neal repeated," this is supposed to be a celebration and I've completely spoiled it."

As Peter finally pulled back and let him go, Neal found Elizabeth joining him. She was holding the piece of cake he'd left on the table, but it was wrapped to go.

Handing him the cake, she gave him her own hug and whispered in his ear, "Take care of yourself too! Peter, me, you're our best friend, and we don't want to lose you. You mentioned that his death would kill you in a way that a bullet couldn't, but yours would do the same to him. Don't do that to us." Then she released him giving him permission to go.

Nodding to them, Neal left with his piece of cake in hand. He'd never given them the bib so he'd need to rework his baby gift.

As he left, he passed the agent arriving with the confidentiality forms. They'd be signed and all would be officially resolved, but he still couldn't help but feel like he'd ruined what was supposed to be one of the best times of their lives.

Thank you, everyone, for reading, commenting/reviewing, and leaving kudos :D